The revamped cultural celebration kicks off Embrace Boston’s 2025 Signature Series, which features five distinct events
BOSTON – (June 24, 2024) Embrace Boston, in collaboration with Boston radio pioneer José C. Massó III, launched the inaugural Embrace Massó ¡Con Salsa! International Music Festival (EMCS) into its Signature Series lineup. EMCS is the latest installment of the organization’s ongoing series of activations to build a more equitable and inclusive Boston. EMCS is a celebration of Afro-Latino civil rights accomplishments, grounded in arts, culture and activism.
For nearly five decades, José C. Massó III has served as the producer, host and curator of WBUR’s ¡Con Salsa!, a weekly radio program featuring the best in Afro-Latin music, history and commentary. His career revolves around building a bridge between diverse cultures to create a more cohesive Boston. For a number of years, Massó has hosted ¡Con Salsa!, a night of salsa music, dancing, conversation and community. As Massó celebrates his 50th anniversary on radio in 2025, the 1965 Freedom Plaza honoree, which The Embrace is enveloped by, is partnering with Embrace Boston to begin a new chapter for ¡Con Salsa! ensuring its legacy continues to thrive within the framework of Embrace Boston's renowned signature events.
“By integrating Embrace Massó ¡Con Salsa! International Music Festival into our annual activations, we are beginning a new journey together as a city, celebrating Boston's cultural richness and fostering connections that transcend boundaries through the universal language of music and dance," said Embrace Boston President and CEO Dr. Imari Paris Jeffries. “José Massó is a lion and has been a bastion for civil rights in our community for decades. It is our distinct honor to continue his legacy through this event.”
The EMCS will serve as a vibrant tribute to music's unifying power, social justice, and the rich tapestry of Latin and global musical traditions. Celebrating the enduring legacy of Jose C. Masso III, the festival showcases a diverse array of musical genres – from salsa and Merengue to reggae, hip-hop and jazz – highlighting the influential contributions of Black and Afro-Latin artists. Beyond its entertainment value, EMCS fosters community dialogue, education, and activism, particularly highlighting social and racial justice during Hispanic Heritage Month. A new addition to Embrace Boston’s Signature Series, the event stands as a beacon of inclusivity and transformation. It integrates the festival's vibrancy with a deep commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and promoting a socially conscious and equitable future through the universal language of music and community engagement.
The first installment of the festival, set to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, will take place outdoors on the Boston Common and will feature live Latin music performances, dancing, an awards ceremony, Afro-Latin food, and vendors. This festival reimagines a collective space for Afro descendants of Spanish and Creole speaking countries to come together to celebrate and amplify the iconic figures that have leveraged the arts to engage in social justice issues and make change in Boston.
"This is more than an event—it's an acknowledgment of the shared experiences of afro-centric cultures, elevating our collective struggles and triumphs through music and spoken word, and fostering unity and solidarity among Boston’s diverse communities,” said Jose C. Massó III. “¡Con Salsa! has connected people for nearly half a century, and now, as part of Embrace Boston's vision, we're amplifying our commitment to inclusion and cultural celebration.”
Embrace Boston’s 2025 Signature Event Series will include five events touching on the areas of arts and culture, community, research, and policy with the aim to dismantle structural racism. The activations season will begin with EMCS in September 2024 and will conclude with its annual Embrace Ideas Festival in June 2025.
The five signature events in the 2024-2025 season include:
Embrace Massó ¡Con Salsa! Music Festival – September 2024
The Embrace Massó "¡Con Salsa!” International Music Festival is an electrifying celebration of music, culture, and social justice. The festival embodies Embrace Boston’s commitment to social change through the universal language of community, music, and placemaking. This dynamic event, taking place on the Boston Common, showcases the rich diversity of Latin and global rhythms, melodies, and traditions, uniting performers, and audiences from around the world in a spirit of harmony and solidarity.
Embrace Boston Arts & Culture Summit – November 2024
The Embrace Boston Arts & Culture Summit is a pioneering gathering that unites leaders, funders, and advocates from diverse industries to develop sustainable cultural solutions. Initially launching with the Everyone 250 initiative, which promotes equitable celebrations of America's 250th anniversary, the summit has expanded its focus to address equity, justice, and racial reconciliation post-pandemic and following the murder of George Floyd. It serves as a crucial platform for fostering meaningful discussions and forging partnerships that advance these goals within the arts and culture sector.
Embrace Honors MLK: Friends and Family Sneaker Affair – January 2025
During the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, Embrace Honors MLK offers a unique celebration of Black joy, an often-overlooked aspect of racial justice discussions. Through music, food, and fellowship, reflective of the Black diaspora, attendees can find solace and healing in a collective celebration of joy and freedom. Embrace encourages guests to wear their best formal attire—tuxedos, gowns, and sparkles—paired with their favorite sneakers for a night of self-expression, food, and live performances from local musicians.
1965 Freedom Rally 60th Anniversary – April 2025
The year 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Rally, where over 20,000 people marched through Boston to protest the racial imbalances in housing and schools. As part of the Everyone 250 Initiative, Embrace Boston, in collaboration with the City of Boston and other community partners, will recreate this historic march from Carter Playground in Roxbury to the Embrace Monument on the Boston Common.
Embrace Ideas Festival – June 2025
The Embrace Ideas Festival, an annual homage to ideas rooted in the arts, culture, and public scholarship, aims to foster a collaborative environment among leaders from various sectors to champion anti-racism efforts and project a future Boston encapsulated in transformation and progress by 2030. The annual festival promises a diverse program featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, live music performances, dance, and mutual celebration.
Sponsorship packages and tickets to the select events are available now. For more information, please visit: https://www.embraceboston.org/signature-events-main
###
About Embrace Boston
Embrace Boston was established at the Boston Foundation in 2017, and their work is intended to inspire change and activate social justice values towards the realization of a radically equitable and inclusive Boston by 2030. Embrace Boston is a nonprofit with a mission to dismantle structural racism through their work at the intersection of arts and culture, community, and research and policy. Collectively, the work is intended to create a radically inclusive and equitable Boston where everyone belongs and the BIPOC community prospers, grounded in joy, love, and wellbeing. The organization is a deeply collaborative, BIPOC-led organization that is working toward an ecosystem which fosters equity, opportunity, and wellbeing for a transformed Boston by 2030, the city’s 400th birthday.